To Love Your Human
by 67OtakuGirl24X3
Summary: Pokemon and their trainers are naturally expected to have close relationships. It's perfectly normal for Pokemon to love their humans... But one particular Chimchar has found that he's IN love with his human. Note that Marina is an OC of mine, not the Marina legitimately from Pokemon. Reviews are loved
1. Chapter 1

"Must.. make it… there… before… Barry!" huffed a girl, urging her bike to pedal faster. She was 10 years old, so today she embarked on her Pokémon journey. She had traveled all the way from her homeland Fiore to the Sinnoh region just because she had her mind dead set on what partner she'd want.

I heard the sound of a key turning in a lock. Blinking, I saw the blurry figure of an old man with a mustache and a square face. Oh, it was Rowan. Once my vision was clear, I sat up and stretched. I nearly forgot what today was.

Before I was completely awake, I felt two firm hands lift me up. "Today's a big day," Rowan murmured in that deep voice of his. Next thing I knew, I felt a cold metal surface under my feet. It sent a shiver up my spine, and the fact that my worst enemy was sitting beside me didn't make it any better.

Professor Rowan placed another familiar creature- a green one- on my other side. I gave him a little smile, and he smiled back. I could feel him shaking though. Rowan patted each of our heads, his hand resting for a moment on the head of the blue penguin beside me. "Daddy's favorite", I thought bitterly. I considered using Ember once he stuck his tongue out of his yellow beak at me, but contained myself. If the human picked me- or _Piplup_- then I'd never have to see his stupid face again.

"PROFESSOR ROWAN! I'M HERE!" the girl from before shouted suddenly, bursting through the doors. Piplup fell over backwards- that made me smile- and Turtwig jumped. I tilted my head, my heart thudding rapidly in my tiny chest. The girl had straight, sandy-tan hair that went down to a couple inches above her waist. On her head was a white hat with a red ribbon circling above the brim. She wore a sky blue shirt with sleeves not even past her shoulders, and a short light-pink skirt. On her feet were yellow sandals, and around her neck was a magenta-ish scarf that really didn't match her outfit. Also clashing with her ensemble was a light red back she had strapped over her shoulder. Her eyes were the deepest shade of blue- oh, how I hate the color blue- and were flaming with victory.

What an eccentric human.

Rowan smiled at her, but I could tell he would've loved to push her back down the porch and lock the door behind her. It would certainly save him a headache. "Ah, Marina Allketch. I've been expecting you." He sounded tired already.

The girl calmed down half a level. "Those three cuties are the starters, right?" she confirmed, pointing at us. I saw Turtwig's cheeks go pink, but Piplup just stuck up his beak. Him, cute? That was old news.

Hands behind her back, the girl strode over with this big friendly grin on her face."Hey guys! Geez, you're even more beautiful in real life than on a computer screen," she crooned peppily. Piplup sat up real proud-like, while Turtwig shrunk back in a bashful manner. I just sat there blinking, trying to read this girl. Marina, Rowan had called her.

"Did you decide what partner you'd like beforehand?" inquired Rowan, walking up behind her. Marina nodded, her gaze unfaltering.

"Yes, but I'd like to see if my choice is the right one… I'm trying to get a feel for these guys' personalities. And from the vibes I'm getting, I'd say I'll stick with my decision." From her bag, she received a ribbon that was the exact same color as her shirt. I shuddered a little. It was also the same exact color as PIPLUP.

Well, alright. I'd be perfectly happy for her to take him with her. Then I'd never have to see him again. Besides, this girl was odd. I wasn't too keen on being chosen by her anyway.

But, suddenly, I felt her gently take my wrist. She wrapped the ribbon around it, tying it into a neat little bow. "I'd like to take you with me, Chimchar." Piplup fell backwards again in devastation. Normally I'd laugh at that, but I was too shocked to move. I'd be traveling with this spazz for the rest of my life.

"Excellent choice. Now, here's his poké ball, and 5 new ones as well. You also get the pokédex and these ball capsules," Rowan said. Marina nodded enthusiastically, quickly but carefully placing them all in her bag. She then turned to me and held out her arms. "Come on, Chimchar. We're going to be partners." Her voice was soothing, and the next thing I knew I had locked my hands in hers and she was carrying me. I got a really nice feeling from her. I liked it a lot.

As she thanked Rowan and listened to him drone on about the tasks that were to come her way, I glanced back at Piplup. I pulled down my eyelid and stuck out my tongue. Piplup started to use Bubble on me, but Marina had already started sprinting out the door.

She gingerly placed me in her bike basket, then shot off down the road. The wind flowing around me felt good, and I had to smile. I wasn't concentrating on the words she was saying, but I knew she was talking to me in a friendly tone constantly. She didn't stop until we reached a big glass building with an orange roof.

"Alright! Here we are, at the Poké Centre. We'll spend the rest of the day here, then really kick off our journey tomorrow. Sound good?" I just nodded. I mean, if I argued, it wouldn't really make a difference would it?

The building was bustling with humans and Pokémon, some of them resting, some of them standing and interacting with each other, some of them fighting. I shrunk back, gripping Marina's shoulder tighter. I wasn't used to this.

Luckily, she chose a seat on a bench far away from any people. She placed me on her lap, pulling off her bag and starting to dig through it. She retrieved a yellow case with flowers on it, and poured pink cookie-like things onto her hand. "Here ya go! These are called poffins. They're yummy treats for Pokémon, and healthy too!" she explained. I looked up at her uncertainly, but nonetheless I took a "poffin" out of her palm. I hesitantly put it in my mouth, and gasped. It was amazing! Flavor burst in my mouth, filing me with joy. It wasn't bland, like what Rowan gave us. Not at all. I eagerly shoved more into my mouth, and she laughed.

"There's plenty more where that came from, buddy, but let's save some for later, alright?" She stuck her hand in another pocket of her bag and this time pulled out a green brush. She began gently running it over my fur, mostly on my head. It felt heavenly.

"Since we're gonna be together forever, why don't I tell you about me?" she offered. I nodded, my gray eyes closed. It would probably help to know more about this chick's past.

She explained that she had 9 sisters: 2 of them were older than her, and she was the oldest out of a set of triplets. There were 2 sets of twins in her household; at the time, one pair was 8 and the other was 6. "I have another 6 year old sister, but she's 3 months older than those twins. You see, they're not actually my sisters, they're my cousins. Their parents were killed when they were a few days old, so my parents decided to raise them," she told me. I nodded, eyes still closed. Humans were certainly interesting.

"Sabrina- the oldest of the 10 of us- is 14, and something called a Pokémon Ranger. My parents are soooo proud of her, because she helps the environment AND Pokémon. Then Malina- she's 12- does a whole bunch of stuff with Pokémon, so they're even prouder of her. Cristina- my one triplet- is gonna be a Pokémon breeder, and Elina- the other triplet- is a Ranger like Sabrina, so my parents just loooove them. But I don't care what they think of MY career. I just want to be close to my Pokémon, and reach my own goals. Or, if anything, I at least wanna be friends with YOU."

I opened my eyes, looking up at her. "Don't worry, Marina. I'll be your friend! I mean, we ARE gonna be partners for a long time now," I told her. I know all she heard was "Chim! Chimchar chim!" but I must've gotten my message across, because she smiled softly and hugged me.

"Thanks, Chimmy. Oh, one more thing I need to tell you: there's this guy I've known since preschool, his name is Barry. We're BEST friends, but also arch rivals. I'm super glad I made it to the lab before him today. Though I want good for him too, I'm going to SMASH him on my way to the top. You in?" I frowned. Smashing your dreams didn't seem very best-friend-like to me at all.

Suddenly, the automatic doors to the building slid open. "Outta the way, outta the way! Don't make me fine you!" a boy shrieked. He dashed past a bunch of (angry) people, then skidded to a halt in front of us. He had unruly yellow hair, and crazy orange eyes. He wore a green scarf, a white-and-orange striped t-shirt, and jeans. He looked really ticked off about something.

But within an abrupt second, he grinned real happy-like. "Good to see you made it here in one piece."

Marina smirked, shifting the position she held me in. "You're one to talk, Mr. always-in-such-a-hurry-that-you-always-fall-off-your-bike." By now I inferred that this guy was Barry.

"Ah, can it you. So I see you got a Chimchar, hm? Nice nice. But, get a load of MY partner." He whipped a poké ball out of his pocket, and a white light flashed from it. I gasped in horror. In front of me stood my arch nemesis, Piplup.

Smashing his dreams suddenly sounded great.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up sluggishly the next morning. Had yesterday been a dream? No, I was certainly at the foot of Marina's bed. What HAD been a dream was that I was a fully evolved Infernape, while Piplup was still a Piplup, and I kicked his pathetic little butt.

Hey, it could happen.

Marina gradually sat up, stretching and yawning. She didn't look nearly as presentable as she did before in the morning. Her hair reminded me of a Zigzagoon.

She smiled at me tiredly, patting my head. "Morning Chimchar. Time to start the day." While she went to get a shower (whatever that meant), I caught up on some Z's, this time curling up on her pillow. It smelled strongly of her scent, which filled me with a strong feeling of security and comfort. I closed my eyes with a peaceful smile on my face.

I blinked awake again when I heard the door creak open. Marina was soaking wet with a towel wrapped around her. I wondered if she had been attacked by a water type Pokémon- as if I don't hate them enough already- but could feel a wave of warmth emanating from her.

My eyes bulged and my jaw dropped at what happened next. She dropped her towel, RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! As she got dressed, she just talked to me casually as if she WASN'T half naked. She didn't seem like the type to think Pokémon didn't have human-like ways of thinking, but maybe she was raised that way.

After she had some disgusting-looking mush she called oatmeal and I had some more poffins, we set out to start our journey. "We're going to catch some new friends today," she told me. Seated on her shoulder with one hand behind her head, I nodded.

We headed out into a forest, both of us alert. My heart started thudding rapidly. Battling was probably going to be a lot more intense than the scraps me and Piplup got in. Hopefully Marina wouldn't let anything happen to me though…

"Ah, look! There's a Bidoof!" Marina whispered excitedly. I frowned. I could tell from one look this Bidoof was very young, and had probably left her mother's care no more than a month ago. I was very hesitant to leave Marina's shoulder. To be taken away from nature as a little one would be horrible. Well, not that I would know. I had been taken from my parents and sent to the lab as an egg.

"What's the matter? Don't wanna fight? Oh, wait… That Bidoof does look kinda young huh? Alright, we'll find an older Pokémon." I sighed in relief, smiling a little. I knew Marina would understand.

It took us a while, but we finally came across a Pokémon Marina wanted to capture. She was a Shinx, probably the same age as me. "Okay, Chimchar, here's your moment! Let's go!" Marina exclaimed. I gave a determined nod, then pounced toward the Shinx. She looked up casually.

"Hello there," she said almost apathetically.

"Hi! C'mon, let's battle!" Wow, did I sound hasty or what?

A small, sly smile formed on the Shinx's face. "Ah, alright. I guess I wouldn't mind being with some human. Though there's no way you're gonna beat me." This girl reminded me WAY too much of Piplup. The resemblance caused the adrenaline in my veins to rapidly increase.

"Alright, Chimchar! Start it off with Ember!" Marina shouted.

Here we go.

I jumped a couple feet into the air and shot burning hot embers at the Shinx. She was quick to dodge, but not quick enough. A few embers brushed past her thigh, causing her to flinch. She shot after me with a Tackle, but Marina had be intercept it with a Scratch. One Ember later, Shinx was already too weak to attack.

"Alright! Go, poké ball!" Marina shouted, throwing a red and white ball at Shinx. It wobbled a good 4 times before it finally made a much anticipates CLICK. Marina jumped in victory, hugging me tightly. She quickly retrieved the ball and let Shinx out.

"Hey there! My name is Marina," she said in a peppy tone, a kind smile on her face. She gently ran a hand across Shinx's head, and the blue and black Pokémon closed her eyes happily. "I won't be too rash, so I'll stick with you two for now," Marina told us. We both nodded, then smiled at each other.

"Looky here, I see you've got another Pokémon," a rather obnoxious male voice said. I looked up and frowned. Barry was standing in the clearing, Piplup clinging to his shoulder. Marina stood up, me in one arm and Shinx in the other.

"Indeed I have. What about you?"

Barry waved a poké ball braggingly. "_I_ caught a Starly yesterday. He's already really strong."

Marina rolled her eyes, but I could tell she wasn't as uninterested as she led on.

Barry pointed at her overdramatically. "I challenge you to a battle! One on one! Piplup versus Chimchar!" he declared. My eyes widened. Anything but that…

Marina's eyes narrowed. "Chimchar's weak against Piplup." I saw Piplup snicker. WEAK. I hated that word. What I'd give to be an electric or grass type now… I'd settle for ANY type, just so long as it wasn't WEAK against Piplup.

"If your Chimchar is strong, types shouldn't matter."

Marina bit her lip and started to debate, but decided against it. There was something about Barry's stare, I could tell, that had a strong effect on her.

It wasn't 10 seconds later that Piplup and I were battling. Marina kept repeating "Ember!" and "Scratch!" while Barry mostly said "Bubble!" with a couple "Pound!"s. Ugh, how I hated Bubble… It seemed to suck the life out of me.

I could tell my energy was at an all time low. I was going to cave soon. I was actually pretty shocked I hadn't caved a lot earlier. I could barely move… But I had to. I had to make Marina happy. I had to do what she wanted…

"Enough!" I suddenly heard Marina shout. I started to use Ember with the little life I had left, but realized she hadn't said that.

"What, giving up so easily? What a wimp you two are," taunted Barry. For a moment, Marina looked as if she'd change her mind and call out another attack for me. But instead, she said, "Easily? You're DESTROYING my poor Chimchar! Don't you dare call him a WIMP, you KNOW he's at a type disadvantage. And I'm sure you guys have been training a lot more than we have. I'd rather not treat my Pokémon like a slave or a soldier, but like a companion, a PARTNER, thank you very much."

Barry was speechless. Honestly, I was too. I felt Marina scoop me into her arms and caress the back of my head. "C'mon buddy. Let's go get you all fixed up," she murmured sweetly. I snuggled into her, ignoring the insults Piplup was spitting at me. I started to close my eyes, but then opened them wide. I had heard about this feeling I was getting. Some of the scientists, and Rowan's assistants, and the people on the Glow Box had discussed it. I came to a conclusion that I knew Piplup would get a kick out of and hold against me forever:

I had fallen in love with my human.


	3. Chapter 3

Marina began avoiding Barry after that event. If he approached her, she'd turn on her heel and walk away. If he called her, she'd answer just to get his hopes up but then hung up before he could say anything. However, every time she shunned him, I could see this microscopic spark of utter sadness in her eyes that I doubt anyone else could notice. I suppose I don't know her story well enough to assume why, but I mean, even if they're rivals now it must hurt to give the silent treatment to your best friend.

Anyway, Marina managed to find other people to train with instead of Barry. I was growing in strength rapidly. I partially wished she'd battle Barry, because I could probably kick Piplup's butt at this point. Plus, Shinx and I weren't alone anymore: she'd added a Bidoof and Starly to our family. They were getting stronger too, but Marina kept it so they never surpassed me.

That made me feel great.

One day, about a month after we'd started our journey, Marina came down with a cold. Not just a sneezey-coughy one, one that caused her to be restricted to bed rest for a whole week.

It had only been 3 days since she was bedded that she was fed up with it. "This SUCKS! I can't spend as much time with you guys anymore, and when I do we can't do squat! I wish Nurse Joy hadn't run out of that final ingredient for that medicine… If I took that now, I'd be better by tomorrow!" she whined one day. Nurse Joy had told her about a medicine that would in fact make her in ship-shape over night, but she was out of the final ingredient and couldn't find time to get more in stock. She must've been too busy, because she had told us exactly where it was and everything…

Then, I had an idea.

"I'll get it for you! " I exclaimed. It's strange, how Marina can understand the exact meaning of "Chim, chimchar!"

"Are you crazy? No, buddy, you don't gotta do that…"

I shook my head, shooting her a "Yes I do" look. She bit her lip, then sighed,

"Fine. But please come back quickly…"

If only it was that easy.

In my determination, I lost track of time. I didn't hesitate to leave the Pokémon Centre and bolt into the forest where the final ingredient- a special type of berry- was located, but I didn't even realize I was fuzzy on where I was going. It took me a while- 2 hours, actually- to accept that I was absolutely lost.

I looked up and saw that the sun was beginning to set. I started to panic. Not only did I not know where the berry was, but I didn't know how to get back. I'd be ashamed to return empty handed, but at least I'd be safe…

I kept loping along, my spirits deflated. The ground seemed to be getting cooler and moister with each step I took. I heard the quiet trickle of water, and soon found myself by a lazy stream. My heart gave a little leap. The berries grew by fresh bodies of water! Or, wait… Or was it that they grow AWAY from water? Oh, man, I had no idea!

It wasn't long until I was surrounded by darkness. My only light was my own feeble flame and the stars & moon, which were mostly blocked out by trees. Shivering and whimpering, I curled up at the foot of a tree after making sure I was truly alone.

I went to sleep murmuring, "I'm sorry Marina…"

I awoke with the tiny hope that I had just been dreaming. Looking around me, I sighed. Of course it wasn't. I sluggishly stood up, unclear on what I was to do next. What time was it? Where was I? Was Marina okay? Was she worried? Was… was she disappointed in me? Oh, anything but that…

Overflowing with self pity, I dragged myself back toward the stream. Maybe if I followed it, I could find some form of civilization, and maybe due to some miracle Barry would be there and take me back to Marina… I checked to make sure my ribbon was still there. Good, it was.

I was just starting to walk when I got the disturbing feeling that I wasn't alone. That I was being watched. I heard a chorus of muffled ripples in the stream, and slowly turned to face the sound. 8 big, beady black eyes were staring at me angrily. I gulped. I WAS in water type territory…

All at once, 4 freakishly large Quagsire sprung out of the water, landing simultaneously. This was really bad… Not only were they three times my size, but they were water and ground types: the two types I was weakest against.

All 4 of them had these wicked grins on their stupid faces as they slowly approached me. I took a shaky step back, and felt the rush of slimy, wet skin. They had me surrounded! I hung my head, closing my eyes so tightly I brought on tears. I had failed Marina…

Just as the Quagsire aimed their Water Guns- Hydro Pump, for their leader- at me, I suddenly felt two arms grip me tightly. My face was now pressed against soft, blue fabric that smelled strongly of…

The sound that filled my ears filled me with rage: it was Marina's cry of pain as the Quagsire attacked her all at once. It made me feel even worse that I wasn't impacted by any of their attacks. Marina had curled herself in a ball, acting as a perfect shield for me. I opened one eye and saw that she was shaking horribly, tears streaming down her soaked, pale face.

Those Quagsire hurt her… Because of ME… Th-they hurt, MY Marina…

I can't precisely recite what happened next, because it was all too confusing. I just remember opening my eyes to see nothing but red, and to feel nothing around me except heat. It didn't feel like I was even in my own body. I felt the warmth around me intensify tenfold, and couldn't hear anything except the Quagsire's cry of retreat and my own scream of fury.

I didn't even acknowledge the Quagsire had fled. I still wanted to burn them, tear them to pieces… The rest was a complete blur.

When I awoke, I was sore and shaky, but the feeling of a hand stroking my forehead reassured me. I slowly opened my eyes, and once my vision cleared, I gasped in horror. Marina was still shaky as heck, and she was covered in horrible burn marks. I felt like I had died that very moment; I burned Marina.

She gave a smile so weak, it made me sick to my stomach. "Oh, good… You're awake. I was worried, y'know… The ability Blaze can do crazy stuff to a Pokémon." Blaze… So that's what it was. My anger and weakness had conjured my ability, which I hadn't yet learned how to control.

"A few minutes after you left, Nurse Joy came in saying someone had loaned her some more of that berry she needed. She mixed me up some medicine, and wouldn't let me go look for you until I got enough sleep. The moment my eyes were awake, I went looking for you. I'm sorry I hadn't come earlier…"

I shook my head furiously, chanting "No! No! Don't be sorry, don't be sorry!"

She gave a chuckle that sounded like it was being choked due to tears. "Gosh, I wish I could understand what you were saying…"

I snuggled into her, wrapping my yellow hand around her finger. "You do understand me, Marina… I can tell…" Marina sighed, smiling, and shakily got to her feet. I tried to get down so she could walk without having to be concerned with the extra weight of me, but she shook her head and pulled my face into her shoulder.

"No, Chimchar. I don't want to let you go. Not ever."

If you could feel so much abrupt love for someone that you exploded into nothingness, then there'd be nothing left of me for her to hold onto.


	4. Chapter 4

Marina was in ship-shape in no time, so we automatically were back on the road. She started training us extra hard, and we didn't quite understand why. I couldn't help but blame myself; after all, I had really blown it for her. But when we saw what city we had entered, we suddenly understood: we'd be facing out first gym soon.

About a week after the incident with the Quagsire incident, Marina lined us up and started pacing back and forth with her hands clasped behind her back. "Okay, so. The gym leader- Roark- specializes in rock types, and ALL of you are weak against them… So, we need to come up with some hardcore strategizing if we're gonna win. If we can't beat them by type, we have to own them in level. So, sorry guys, but we're going to have to double- no, TRIPLE- our training." We all pouted, but didn't argue. Marina had been so good to us, it wasn't like we could disobey her all of a sudden.

At first, we decided we'd make really slow progress so we'd have more time before Marina got serious into battle. But then, we figured it would be best if we worked hard so not only would she be proud of and reward us, but would go back to the loving Marina we knew.

It was in a cave on the outskirts of Oreburgh City that it happened.

The others had caught up to me, so Marina was working on getting me up to 3 levels above them. Some mine workers agreed to battle with us, and it was pretty easy so far; most of them had Machops. It wasn't until we got to those with Geodudes that it was getting tough.

Marina sat down against a wall, me on her lap. I was nibbling on an oran berry poffin as she sprayed me down with potions. It felt cold and unpleasant at first, but the results were heavenly. She patted my head then tucked the potions into her bag, getting to her feet.

"Okay, Chimchar. Just a few more battles and you can get a real break. Just one more level to go," she reassured me. I nodded. I wasn't TOO eagerly looking forward to that break; battling was really growing on me.

"Hey, sir? Think you could spare a moment to help me level up my partner?" Marina called to a man who was closing up a lunchbox. He smiled at her, nodding. "Sounds good, little lady."

The battle started off easy enough: he had a Machop. It got a bunch harder when he called out a Geodude, but I pulled through. Marina cheered as I knocked it out, but the man grinned widely.

"Don't think this is over yet! Go, Cranidos!" My gray eyes widened. I'd never battled a Cranidos before, but I heard they were crazy tough. But, I clenched my teeth and stood up tall. I had to repay Marina for saving me, and for being my friend.

I'll tell you, that Cranidos was STRONG. If not for Marina's huge supply of potions, I'd be a goner. The worker kept calling out Headbutts and Pursuits, but always called out a Leer before every other attack so I was more vulnerable. My feeble attacks weren't getting us ANYWHERE. I was doomed.

"C'mon, girl. Why don't you just cut that Chimchar of yours a break and give in already? You can't go on forever, and you're bound to lose," the man taunted. Marina bit her lip, growling. "EMBER!" she called out. I did as I was told, whether I thought it would work or not. It was a Critical Hit, but the Cranidos was still standing strong.

I felt like I had lost already. I was covered in bruises, was running dangerously on HP and PP, and was exhausted. I knew Marina wouldn't let anything bad happen to me, but I also knew she wouldn't let me lose. At this point, I realized that she'd have to choose between one of those two.

Until it happened.

I could feel something changing deep within my body. I felt like I was stretching out every one of my limbs, but it felt more soothing than painful. I glanced down and saw my body begin to glow. I gasped as I was engulfed in a blinding white light. I felt my muscles double in size, my body and limbs lengthen, my face stretch and shift, the blue bow become tighter around my wrist, and something long and furry replaced my flame.

I knew what was happening, but I couldn't believe it: I was evolving!

"Oh, Chimchar…! Oh my gosh, you're… you're a Monferno!" Marina gasped. Pride, amazement, and… and love, was evident in her voice. I heard a "click" noise, followed by an electronic voice announcing: "Monferno: the Playful Pokémon. It skillfully controls the intensity of the fire on its tail to keep its foes at an ideal distance."

"FERNO!" I cried out instinctively. I felt like I had just been healed up at the Pokémon Centre then sent out of my Poké ball. The adrenaline pulsed through my veins at a breakneck pace, flames bursting from the tip of my tail. It felt GREAT.

Marina also looked like she had been revived. She adjusted the brim of her hat, then shouted, "Okay, Monferno! Mach Punch!" I'd never so much as heard of this attack, yet I knew exactly what to do. I smacked the Cranidos straight between the eyes, and WHAM! It was out.

The man stood with his mouth agape, shakily calling his Cranidos back into its ball. I smirked in victory, then felt two familiar arms wrap around my shoulders from behind. "Oh, my God! You evolved! I can't believe it Chimchar! Or should I say, Monferno! I'm so proud, buddy! You did great, absolutely great!" she squeaked, rubbing her cheek against mine. I laughed along with her, my hands gently but firmly gripping her arms. My laughter ceased before hers did. I smiled softly, opening my eyes to half-slits.

Did Marina love me as much as I loved her? Did she feel the perfection that I did as we sat in each other's arms like this? Would she be this proud if the others evolved? I didn't know, but as I pressed my head into her chest and allowed her to run her fingers through my new fur, I didn't care all that much.


End file.
